Last fall, Lehigh faculty, staff, and students took part in the first cohort of How Lehigh Works, a program designed to provide the Lehigh community with greater insight into the university’s financial model and operations. Provost Nathan Urban, Vice President of Finance and Administration Chris Cook, and Budget Director Warren Loller led the meetings and gave attendees an overview of the higher education business model with significant focus on Lehigh’s own resource distribution and management across the organization.
The six-part series covered every aspect of Lehigh’s financial portfolio, from the cost of educating an undergraduate and management of the physical plant to endowment management and investments. The program also touched on the external pressures affecting higher education, including demographic shifts, rising costs, and declining public confidence in the value of a degree.
Wit Moore ‘26, a senior, said the program was “an informative experience” that provided a rare look at Lehigh’s internal operations. “When I received the email I was curious and wanted to learn more about Lehigh's operations and financial practices.” Moore also said that he would be interested in seeing the event being opened up to more students in the future.
Director of Employee Engagement Mary Jo McNulty, shared a similar appreciation for the opportunity. “Honestly, I was honored to be invited. After 43 years here, I’ve seen Lehigh from a lot of angles, but I knew there were still things I didn’t fully understand. The program felt like a unique opportunity to learn more about the university’s financial side and to see how decisions are made at a higher level,” she said.
Cook said the program was designed to strengthen institutional literacy across the university. “By bringing together faculty, staff, and students in a single cohort, we created a shared understanding of higher education's business model that transcends traditional campus silos,” Cook said. “When our entire community better understands how Lehigh operates—from economics to operations—we're better positioned to make informed decisions.”
How Lehigh Works is by invitation/nomination only, and participants may self nominate or be nominated by a supervisor. The next session will be in spring 2026, with details about the nomination process released this fall.